Senescence induces a proangiogenic switch in human peritoneal mesothelial cells

The incidence of cancers that metastasize to the peritoneum increases with age. Intraperitoneal cancer dissemination depends largely on angiogenesis and interactions with the peritoneal mesothelium. We assessed the proangiogenic potential of human peritoneal mesothelial cells. Conditioned media collected from these cells at senescence stimulated proliferation of endothelial cells to a significantly greater extent compared to media from early-passage cells. The effect was accompanied by a significantly increased release of proangiogenic mediators -- VEGF, CXCL1/GROalpha, CXCL8/IL-8, and CCL2/MCP-1. These results indicate that the senescent mesothelium exhibits increased angiogenic activity, which may contribute to accelerated intraperitoneal cancer progression in the aged.